


Perpetuation of a Cycle

by 8d6FireDamage



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Campaign 1 (Critical Role), Canon Compliant, Character Death, Character Study, F/M, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22682686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8d6FireDamage/pseuds/8d6FireDamage
Summary: A series of short vingettes focused on Vax's journey with the Raven Queen.
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Kudos: 4





	Perpetuation of a Cycle

Exandria was full of new gods. Time marches on, and with each passing generation there seemed to be newer and younger gods with more and more specific domains. A mysterious, cloaked figure who encourages chaos. Unknowable beasts reaching out to mortals from the outer planes. More and more. 

Time marches on.

There is a legend of a mortal chosen by a god of death who, by force or circumstance, took the mantle for themselves. There is another legend of this same ascended mortal perpetuating the cycle. Another mortal chosen to serve the realm of death. 

* * *

Vax stood in the hallway clutching the crumpled pile of inky black leather that his beloved sister unceremoniously dumped into his arms. This was too much. He did not want this. _He did not want this_. And yet, there was something in his chest, something so alien feeling, that yearned for it. That unequivocally told him that this is how it should be. _This is fate_. Vax wandered, dumbstruck, back to his room within Whitestone Castle.

Within the privacy of his quarters Vax finally allowed himself to examine this armor with more detail. The whole set was lighter than he imagined it should be. Intricate runework, barely visible, was pressed into the borders of it and hidden under feathers. Gods, there were so many feathers. He ran his fingers through them, and they seemed to react to his touch. Feathers reached out and clung to his fingers like static electricity had been built up in a way Vax could not help but find a little unsettling. He flipped the chest piece over to examine the back of it, finding one of the most curious details yet. Two large, oval shaped holes were cut through the leather right where he imagined his shoulder blades would rest while wearing it. Instead, thin black cloth was stretched over the openings. Vax balked at this. It seemed like such fine craftsmanship otherwise for this to be any sort of oversight. The edges were too clean and finished for it to be damage from a past attack on a previous owner.

Vax almost put the armor on. He could feel as he examined it the familiar magical process of attunement begin to take hold, but it became too overwhelming too quickly. Too right and wrong all at once. It was not worth it to wear a constant painful reminder of his sister’s death everywhere he went, and especially not in battle. Tearing his eyes away, he stuffed the set into his pack. It was decided then. He would deal with this later. 

* * *

The first time the wings come out it is not intentional. It is pure instinct. He is falling and the ground is rushing up to meet him all too quickly. He squeezes his eyes shut to avoid having to look at the vast plane of forest canopy that almost seems to be reaching out to claim him.

A heartbeat. Two heartbeats.

Then the most absurd of sensations makes itself known between his shoulder blades. It’s almost like an itch placed in the exact right spot on his back where he would never be able to reach it on his own. It is accompanied by a rush of cold sensation emanating from the core of his chest, something foreign and beyond him. Everything becomes clarified in his mind. Vax laughs. It’s so simple, everything is so obvious. He gives in, and tugs on that foreign sensation within himself until it consumes every inch of him. Vax can distinctly feel muscle and bone that wasn’t there before sliding beneath his skin. And just like that, he’s flying.

It feels right, like he has always been able to do this, but had never bothered to try before. The wings, _his wings_ , were real. They had a physicality to them like his own hands. Vax could feel the wind rippling through the feathers, _his feathers_ , just the same as it tousled the hair on his head. With a whoop of joy he climbed higher and higher into the sky only to let himself dive and twist and turn in incredible feats of aerial acrobatics.

* * *

“Kiki, could I make a request?”

“Yeah? I mean, it depends what it is, obviously, but I’m sure we can work out something or other.” Keyleth offered Vax a kind smile as she spoke, but Vax saw her eyes dart around suggesting a search for something hiding under the surface level. 

“Do you think we could go to Vasselheim tomorrow?”

It had been just under a month since the pair had parted ways with the rest of Vox Machina. It was peaceful, which was the only way life in Zephrah could be described. After a short adjustment period, each day had settled into a comfortable and quiet routine. Keyleth woke with the dawn each day, and Vax couldn’t help but to be woken each time along with her. Too many years of sleeping outside in the open had made him an incredibly light sleeper.

“That’s sudden.” Keyleth rolled over in their bed to study Vax’s face more intently. “Is there anything wrong? I mean, anything I - or we - should be worrying about?”

Vax squinted in slight discomfort at her searching gaze. “No, I don’t think so. But I saw a raven earlier today, and best I can tell it was a polite reminder to, you know, stop avoiding my duties.”

Keyleth’s eyes widened at this. “You have duties?” 

“Apparently. I think I just need to go and figure out how this all works. Being a paladin of the Raven Queen and whatever that means.”

* * *

Vax steps into the void. His head is held high with willingness and acceptance. But mostly, mostly, putting on a brave face. As he had been for the rush of days leading up to this one. Despite all this, it is difficult. A pinpoint of pain in his chest that radiates out into a bone deep sense of sadness and loss. The receding sensation of warmth received from a loving embrace being replaced by the sudden icy chill of stepping out into a cold winter night. Vax places a single foot down firmly into inky black nothing, and feels the threads wound tightly around his heart that form an impossible knot release. Vax crosses the threshold. 

**Author's Note:**

> These were all fics I started and never finished, but put together they make one decent fic. It's always being sad about Vax hours over here. 
> 
> As always you can find me at currycurrie.tumblr.com!


End file.
